Game story: 49ers win with seventh-best playoff comeback, best-ever in NFC title game

The 49ers are back in the Super Bowl, ending a 17-season absence after erasing a 17-point deficit Sunday for one of the greatest comebacks in NFL playoff history.

Sunday’s 28-24 win in the NFC Championship Game merely required the 49ers to shake off a terrible start and stave off a last-ditch drive by the host Atlanta Falcons.

“Winning the George Halas Trophy, it’s a huge accomplishment,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said “It’s another flag, another trophy. You want to win as many trophies as you can.”

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The Lombardi Trophy will be on the line, as will the 49ers’ 5-0 record in Super Bowls, when they play Feb. 3 inNew Orleans.

The 49ers (13-4-3) made it there thanks to the seventh-largest comeback in playoff history, and the biggest for an NFC Championship Game. Only the 2006 Indianapolis Colts climbed out of a bigger hole to secure a Super Bowl berth, rallying from 18 points down to win 38-34 over the New England Patriots.

Not until Frank Gore’s 9-yard touchdown run – on a beautifully executed read-option play by quarterback Colin Kaepernick – did the 49ers climb into the lead, 28-24, with 8:23 remaining.

Gore, the 49ers’ all-time rushing leader who’s weathered many storms in his eight-season tenure, couldn’t wait to express his joy to reporters. He interrupted Kaepernick’s press conference, saddled up next to the second-year quarterback and declared: “We deserve this.”

“It’s been a long eight years,” Gore added. “We’ve been struggling and struggling and struggling. We’ve got the right guys in front of us to lead us.”

Leading the way is second-year coach Jim Harbaugh, who players praised for “keeping his cool” and conducting “business as usual” when they entered their locker room with a 24-14 halftime deficit.

Tight end Vernon Davis also spoke up at halftime, telling teammates: “Let’s get this. We made it this far. Finish strong.”

What a finish it was. The Falcons followed up Gore’s go-ahead touchdown by marching 70 yards to the 49ers’ 10-yard line. They got no further, as Ahmad Brooks batted down Matt Ryan’s third-down pass and NaVorro Bowman broke up a fourth-down throw to Roddy White.

Earlier on the nail-biting drive, Kaepernick had a message for the 49ers defense, doing so during a replay-challenge break that upheld a 22-yard, third-down reception at the 49ers’ 28-yard line.

Said Kaepernick: “I went out and talked to them, told them, ‘This is for the Super Bowl right here.’ They said, ‘We’ve got you.’ I mean, I take a man at his word.”

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Once that mission was accomplished, the 49ers sideline resembled aBourbon Streetcelebration, even though 1:09 remained and the 49ers offense couldn’t get a first down on their ensuing drive. The 49ers chewed up all but six seconds, however, and the game ended on a 24-yard catch by Jones at the 49ers’ 35-yard line.

A parade of players immediately streamed to congratulate defensive tackle Justin Smith on making it to his first Super Bowl in his 12-year career.

After playing in his second straight game with a partially torn triceps tendon, Smith called the win “unreal,” then added: “We have one game left. It’s all for naught if you don’t go and take care of that one.”

The top-seeded Falcons (14-4) couldn’t take care of a sizeable lead for the second straight game at home. They blew a 20-point, fourth-quarter lead against the Seattle Seahawks before advancing to the NFC title game on a late field goal by Matt Bryant for a 30-28 win.

The Falcons, who led 20-0 at halftime of that playoff opener, followed that same script against the 49ers, starting with a 46-yard touchdown bomb from Ryan to Jones on the game’s seventh snap.

That lead climbed to 17-0 when Jones nabbed a 20-yard touchdown catch to open the second quarter. But the 49ers answered with a touchdown drive that offensive coordinator Greg Roman credited for their overall comeback.

“Our first touchdown really eliminated the need to get anxious, greedy or get out of our game plan,” Roman said. “Those first points broke the ice.”

Rookie LaMichael James’ 15-yard run accounted for that ice-breaking touchdown midway through the second quarter, for a 17-7 ballgame.

It wasn’t easy sledding thereafter, but with Kaepernick showing remarkable poise and vision, and with the 49ers defense forcing a couple turnovers, the second half belonged to them.

Gore contributed with a 5-yard touchdown run on the first series after halftime, and his 90-yard workload capitalized off the Falcons’ focus on Kaepernick’s running ability.

“We felt we could piece the middle of their defense, be patient and wear them down,” Roman said.

Gore credited much of the offense’s revival to Kaepernick, who completed 16 of 21 passes for 233 yards with no interceptions and one sack. Kaepernick scrambled only once, for a 23-yard gain.

“Man, he’s a different quarterback,” Gore said. “If it wouldn’t have been for him, it would have been a tough day.”

Davishad his best day of a sub-par season, coming through with five catches for 106 yards and a second-quarter touchdown. That production offset the limited role of Michael Crabtree.

Playing under the cloud of sexual-assault allegations, Crabtree did have a team-high six catches, but for only 57 yards. He fumbled at the Falcons’ 1-yard line early in the fourth quarter, then redeemed himself with an 8-yard catch to set up Gore’s go-ahead touchdown.

Thank God (Jim) that he finally realized Alex Smith was not gonna get us to a Superbowl. I was so tired of hearing all the crying about not wanting to hurt his feelings and that he just needed another year or a different hand-holder. Best move ever! Now we need to start training Tolzien as a back up. He looks like he has what it takes too.

Ed from AZ

Liquidman, nice try at trolling here, but no one even mentioned Smith until you, so you are the only one still thinking about him..

Now that you bring him up, he did help the team earn 6 of its 11 reg. season victories. In case you don’t understand math, thats more than half. Fans who were whining about losing then are no better than fans who complain about losing now.

The only negative thing about the Niners making the SB is wannabe know-it-alls like you who think what the 49ers team earned somehow makes you more intelligent or credible. Enjoy the SB as a fan, cuz you have no more contributions than that.